Kaleidoscope
by NostalgicChick
Summary: After years of constantly sacrificing his grades and attendance in order to protect Amity Park from ghosts, Danny Fenton finds himself flunking out of college for the second time and moving back in with his parents at the age of 24. He soon finds that not all changes are as bad as he thought as someone new enters his life and gives him a fresh start in more ways than he expected.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, everyone! I am really excited to be sharing my first Danny Phantom fanfic with you guys. I have been mulling over this idea for quite some time, but only now pushed pen-to-paper (or, really, fingers-to-keyboard). Let me know what you think! I hope to update this once a week.

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom was created by Butch Hartman and owned by Nickelodeon.

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

 _This is not how my life was supposed to turn out._ The same thoughts echoed their way through Danny's mind as he slowly made his way up the steps of his childhood home, all the while carrying a box of his personal belongings. _This is so not how I expected my life to turn out._

And it wasn't.

Danny Fenton had always pictured himself having the perfect life. Well, maybe not perfect, but as close to perfection as he could get it to be. The raven-haired boy imagined himself graduating college with honors and moving on to a life as a full-fledged astronaut, ready to explore the depths of space. He wanted nothing more than to learn the secrets of the cosmos – the secrets that made his blue eyes twinkle with a mix of fascination and curiosity whenever they searched the stars of the nighttime sky.

Though not as thorough of a planner as his older sister, Jazz, Danny would be lying if he said that he never made plans or goals regarding his future. By now, he was supposed to be living in what he would have proudly deemed "The Fenton Bachelor Pad," which he had hoped would be overlooking one of the many sandy beaches in Florida, close to the space center. Probably one of the smaller beaches that didn't attract too many tourists during Florida's usual peak seasons. The last thing Danny would have wanted was to wake up every night to the sound of the dog he always wanted barking at the high-spirited teens partying away obnoxiously.

Actually, no, the last thing Danny would have wanted was exactly what was transpiring right now – the reality that all of his plans were nothing more than mere daydreams thought up by a kid who already bit off more than he could chew before he had even turned 15. Wishful thinking, he would have called it if not for the fact that he learned long ago to stop using what he now claimed as "the 'W' word," thanks to a certain ghost that was known for her destructive wish-granting capabilities.

 _Ghost._

More often than he would like to admit, that word left such a bitter taste in Danny's mouth that it could only rival sucking on the sourest of lemons. Most people would assume that this was because of his upbringing. How can one live with parents whose primary goal is to capture and dissect ectoplasmic entities without sharing their hatred for such unnatural creatures? It would only make sense for Danny to want all "spooks," as his father comically called them, disposed of. Except he didn't.

Sure, they were annoying and obsessive when it came to their attempts to take over the world and wreak havoc on the living population. Hell, most ghosts were pettier than the A-Listers that bullied Danny all throughout high school, and they could even be just as egotistical. But he didn't hate ghosts. He couldn't, even though they were mostly the blame for why Danny Fenton was now, at the ripe age of 24, moving back in with his parents after flunking out of college _again_.

No matter how badly the young male wanted to hate the ghosts for terrorizing the town on a regular basis, he knew deep down that he just couldn't. To hate ghosts would be like hating part of himself – or half of himself, to be more precise – and Danny wasn't one to forego years of protecting the town he grew up in and the struggles he faced with just accepting his alter-ego's responsibilities that were brought upon him at the tender age of 14 just because he couldn't live out his fantasies of a more glamorous, or even normal, lifestyle. He was _Phantom_ , for Pete's sake, and he wouldn't change that for the world.

 _Even though this is totally unfair_ , Danny thought ruefully as he shifted the weight of the box to his left and began to open the door to Fenton Works. Normally he would feel pangs of nostalgia whenever he entered the red cobblestone building, but this time was different. This time, he walked in feeling unattached to the home he spent the first 18 years of his life residing, knowing full and well that it was definitely not a luxurious bachelor pad with a beachfront view.

"Mom? Dad? I'm home," he loudly announced while moving onward to the kitchen and placing the box on the table. Knowing they were probably downstairs in the lab, Danny made his way to the counter where a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies were sitting. "Don't mind if I do," he murmured while reaching for the delicious confection, only to have his hand smacked away and a _very_ manly shriek leave his lips.

"Daniel James Fenton, what have I told you about eating dessert before dinner?!" His mother chided from behind as the younger Fenton grimaced at the use of his full name.

 _Yep, totally unfair._ Turning around, Danny forced a smile onto his face as he inwardly tried to ignore the fact that he was being reprimanded like a guilty child who's hand was literally caught in a cookie jar. "Uh, hey mom. Sorry about that."

Maddie's glare softened into a smile as she reached forward to give her youngest child a hug. "It's okay, sweetie. I just wanted you to have room for dinner; I'm making your favorite, just as soon as your father and I finish configuring the latest upgrade to the Fenton Thermos," the auburn woman explained.

"New upgrade?" Danny inquired, not sure if he should be excited for his parents or worried for his safety.

"That's right! Not only will we be able to capture ghosts from a greater distance, this new upgrade should also allow the Fenton Thermos to activate automatically just at the presence of a ghost! Isn't this exciting?" she beamed proudly at her son.

"Yeah, mom, it sure is," the blue-eyed boy answered while nervously running a hand through his hair before silently adding, _even though it's probably going to blow my secret or randomly trap me until someone eventually empties it._

"So, how was the trip?"

Before Danny could answer, a small explosion was heard along with an "Oops!" from his father.

"Maddie! Where's the Fenton fire extinguisher?" Jack Fenton boomed frantically.

Sighing, the Fenton matriarch walked to one of the cabinets and opened it, revealing a neon green fire extinguisher with Jack Fenton's face stickered on the side. "Coming, dear," she yelled before turning back to her son with an apologetic smile. "Why don't you get settled in and then I'll make you some tea?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll finish unloading my stuff from the car," Danny replied as he watched his mom run off to the basement before bringing his attention back to the box sitting on the table, frowning. _I guess I may as well bring this upstairs. But first…_

Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, Danny turned back to the plate of cookies. _I doubt she would notice just one missing,_ he thought while grabbing one of the sweets with a silent promise of not leaving a single crumb of evidence.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

Sorry for the late-ish update! I totally meant to have this finished and posted yesterday, but I got a little sidetracked by the _Sims 4_. This chapter was kind of rushed, so I _might_ go back and edit this tomorrow morning when I get off work. I was just really eager to put the show on the road, y'know? Anyways, I originally had it planned for Sam to make her debut in this chapter, but why do that when I can torture Danny instead? Fear not - it's nothing he won't get over. Besides, very soon (as in the very next chapter, I promise) Sam will make her appearance and things might just perk up for our favorite halfa.

I would also like to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this fic. It was - and still is - a little unnerving to _finally_ share my idea/writing with all of you, but I know that practice makes perfect. What better way to practice than to share my stories with fellow Danny Phantom fans?

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think. I am open to constructive criticism, so please let me know what you think.

Now, on to the story!

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." –_ _Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

It _should_ have taken no longer than one hour – maybe two, tops – for Danny to finish unloading the boxes from his small, blue pickup truck. Even with that short of a time frame, he probably could have even had most of his belongings unpacked and tucked away neatly. Or, at least, he could have had them evenly spread out on his bed and out of their temporary cardboard homes.

It's not like he had a lot to unpack or anything; not when his dorm was so small that he had never really kept much more than his clothing, computer, and phone in the shared room. All of which had fit in to no more than five boxes – not counting the one he had already carried inside and put away. It shouldn't have taken long at all for the slender male to unpack and organize his personal items.

 _But no_ , Danny grumbled internally as he carefully picked up what appeared to be his favorite white shirt from a nearby mud puddle, _the Box Ghost just HAD to pick today to pop in to town and destroy my stuff._

Ordinarily, the Box Ghost's appearances were nothing more than small annoyances that had been almost expected considering how routine they have become over the years. Not that he really had to fight the strange spirit. In fact, it was always the same thing: The Box Ghost would pop in with shouts of "Beware!" which would only be followed with a tangent on how he would use what he affectionately deemed, "The Cardboard Cubes of Terror and Doom" to take over the world. Yeah, like that could happen.

Danny would then patiently wait for the older ghost to finish his ramblings and, often with a half-amused, half-aggravated chuckle, let the handy Fenton Thermos do its thing. Then he would go back to whatever he was doing prior until he felt the Box Ghost had spent long enough in 'time-out' and released the blue ghost back into the Ghost Zone.

It was irritating, but never more than a mild inconvenience that the halfa would have compared to something as trivial as having to walk around with wet socks on.

"Speaking of wet socks," the stressed male groaned in annoyance as he fished his own pair from the very same puddle that once held his shirt. "This week is just getting worse and wors—"

Before Danny could finish, he had looked up from his spot in the yard just in time to see a car he knew all-too-well speed up and purposefully drive over a bundle of his clothing that had made it to the street, only to back up once more over the aforementioned bundle and pull into the Fenton driveway. If he wasn't pissed off before, he definitely was now as he watched none other than his childhood bully step out of the car.

"Dash," he acknowledged through gritted teeth while his older sister stepped out of the passenger side.

Unlike the smug expression that the blonde brute wore, Jazz looked almost as upset as Danny. "Dash!," she scolded while stepping closer to her boyfriend. "What the hell?!"

Danny watched as the jerk turned his gaze back to the older Fenton sibling, and nearly retched when his smug smile turned to one of flirtation.

"Sorry, babe. I was just excited to tell your parents the good news."

"What, that you finally found your manners? Because I think you lost them on the trip over," Danny chimed in with a roll of his eyes.

He expected Dash to sneer a response, but instead the muscular male grinned evilly and snaked his arm around the scowling red head. "Now, now, Fentonio. That's not how you treat family."

The irritation that filled the raven-haired male was now replaced with confusion as he scrunched his eyebrows at the couple before him. "Family?"

Having enough of this, Jazz shoved her boyfriend of two years away and crossed her arms. "Boys…" she started before sighing. "Dash, hon, why don't you go inside and see what mom and dad are up to? I'll be right there in a moment."

"Sure thing, babe."

With a kiss on the cheek from Jazz and a hard shove past Danny, the athlete triumphantly sped off to the red cobblestone building before them.

"Ugh… Remind me again what you see in _him_?!" His darker blue eyes stared at the doorway with disgust, imagining Dash Baxter on the other end in all his asshole-glory.

"Danny…" Jazz began as she stepped closer to her not-so-little brother. "We've been through this."

"Yeah, yeah," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"You know, if you keep doing that they're going to fall out." Jazz stated as if it were a fact before placing a hand on her sibling's shoulder. "How are you holding up, little brother?"

Danny refused to look at his sister. He refused to once again see _that look_ on her face. It was the same look he had gotten from his parents, his professors, his now ex-roommates. It was the look of pity and disappointment for his failures. It was the look that he was getting so fucking tired of receiving.

"Look, Jazz, I'm fine."

Obviously, she knew otherwise, as the teal-eyed woman moved closer to give her brother a hug. "Danny, you know you can't keep it bottled up forever. You can talk to me about it."

"I said I was fine," he snapped, a little harsher than he intended before speaking again with a softer tone. "I get that you care and want me to talk about my feelings, but there isn't much to talk about. I flunked college. Twice. I am the only Fenton to not graduate with honors, and now I'm back living with mom and dad like a mooch. I _really_ don't want to talk about it."

"Danny! You and I both know that it isn't your fault!" she hissed in a whisper. Jazz pulled back from the hug and placed her small hands on his shoulder. Looking up at her brother, daring him to disagree with a stern look that would make their mother proud. "You can't blame yourself for not graduating college… Yet. You can always go back."

 _Nope, totally done._ Danny thought as he grabbed her hands, ready to step back to ignore his sister and get back to picking up his clothing from the yard. It was then that he noticed the small diamond ring on his sister's finger. The finger on her left hand. Her ring finger. _Oh hell no._

"Engaged?! You're engaged to that jerk?!" He dropped her hands as if they were toxic; as if the ring itself had poisoned the skin of her hands. "Jazz, you could do so much better! He's a snob! A snobby, narcissistic asshole whose self-absorbed attitude could only rival a fictional character! You're marrying the _Gaston_ of Amity Park!"

"Daniel James Fenton!" Jazz yelled, echoing her mother's words from this morning. "You cannot tell me who I can or cannot be with!" Her lips twitched into a frown as she looked from her brother to the engagement ring on her finger. "For your information, Dash Baxter is actually a really sweet and humble guy once you get to know him!"

Averting her gaze back to Danny, a sigh left her lips and she rubbed her temple. "Whether you like it or not, this is happening. You need to learn that you can't control everything, little brother."

"Why him, Jazz? Why couldn't you have run off with some psych nerd or a doctor or something?!"

"Danny, you'll understand someday when you meet someone special and fall in lo—"

"Don't even finish that, please." The halfa once again groaned, feeling as if he was in the middle of a really bad nightmare. "I… I need some air."

"We're already outside, Danny…" she stepped forward, trying once again to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, only for him to step back and turn around. It was then that they noticed the neighbors had stepped out and were staring nosily at the duo. "Let's go inside and just talk about this. _All_ of this."

"Jazz, I need to be alone," he started while pacing back to his truck. "Tell mom and dad that I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Danny…"

"Please… I just need to cool off."

With that, Danny fumbled with his keys before driving off, not even caring that his clothes were still all over the yard.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

Hey everyone! I just wanted to thank you all again for taking the time to read/review/follow/fav! It really means a lot, and is great motivation. I actually meant to post this a few days ago, but I got a bit caught up with my New Year's celebrations. I had tried writing a blog post while a bit tipsy, and kind of proved to myself that I don't belong around a keyboard while disoriented, lol. After that, I've been super busy helping around the house during my "weekend," so I didn't really have the time to upload. But now I'm back with an update! I guess I should make it clear that I intend to update this every week, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday.

Some things:

I realized I made Jazz a bit OOC in the last chapter, but it turns out she is harder to write than I thought. Practice makes perfect, right? Also, while writing this chapter I decided to change the rating from T to M, just to be safe. This chapter mentions the use of alcohol and, well, slightly heavy cursing.

Also, I'd like to reply to a few people:

 **ShadowDragon357:** I really wasn't planning on making Jazz and Dash a couple in this story - it was a spur of the moment thing to throw in. Normally, I don't really like the pairing, but we'll see how this goes. I'm really just winging each chapter rather than planning every little thing, so I'm still figuring out what direction I want it to go. But yeah, he really needs to stop being such a bully to Danny. I guess we'll see what happens. Sorry for making you wait for her debut, but I hope you'll be pleased to know that from this chapter on you'll be seeing a lot of Sam!

 **Gfydhdhf:** Yeah, Dash is kind of an asshole. But don't worry - he'll be getting his just desserts sooner or later.

Not on to the story!

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

Usually when he needed space, Danny's preferred method of transportation was always, well, himself. Flying on a bad day almost always worked wonders for Danny. There was just something freeing about being alone in the open sky; the wind blowing wildly through white, messy hair and the most relaxing view of the city that put all aerial photographs of Amity Park to shame. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, but unfortunately the pharmacy was closed and the frustrated halfa had no choice but to use an alternative: his pickup truck.

Not that he minded having to drive instead of soar. At least his truck has a great stereo, perfect for blasting whatever songs Danny was in the mood for. And boy, was he in the mood for some real bangers. Anything that could get his mind out of the present. It was all too much, and he needed something other than the army of thoughts swimming through his head, all fighting for his attention at once. He needed some loud, angry music from one of his many playlists.

It would have calmed him down greatly – as it usually did – if not for one minor issue. Danny forgot his freaking phone at home.

It only took a moment of complete silence while sitting briefly at a Stop sign for the raven-haired Fenton to let out an angry shout, eyes flashing between green and blue. He just wanted to disappear; to just run away without any problems or responsibilities. He wanted to forget about this week. He wanted to forget about this evening. He wanted to get drunk.

Daniel James Fenton was by no means a heavy drinker. He didn't even get plastered on his 21st birthday, whereas nearly anyone else would have. In fact, the young male has probably only had a handful of alcoholic drinks from the time he became of age to now, if that. It wasn't something he was ever interested in. He knew drinking doesn't solve problems, but man, he suddenly wanted nothing more than a shot of vodka. Or three.

He thought about ignoring this train of thought and just heading over to the arcade, like he usually would when he wanted to blow off steam and there were no ghosts around to take his frustration out on, but instead Danny chose to act on it. Blue eyes turned green once again, just for a moment, as he drove past the strip mall in search of his destination: a bar.

It wasn't a hard search – especially when he knew that Amity Park only had two bars in the whole town. One was The Pub Zone, and it was modeled to look like how humans thought the Ghost Zone looked like. In other words, it looked nothing like the Ghost Zone. Danny had only been in there once to stop Kitty and Johnny 13 from destroying everything during one of their usual love spats. Of course, it didn't help that Johnny 13 was drunkenly flirting with anything with breasts, and that included the bartenders – both of which were dressed up as generic copies of Ember and Spectra. It was when he saw a guy dressed up as none other than his alter ego – Phantom – making out with a woman dressed as the Lunch Lady that Danny ended the fight and hightailed it the hell out of there.

It was the first and last time that he would ever step foot in _that place_ again. Ghost attacks be damned.

The other bar was relatively new, and Danny had only ever seen it with an aerial view during his nightly patrols. It sported a brick exterior – black bricks, to be more precise - and the windows were heavily tinted. One wouldn't have even known it was a bar if not for the black light sign on the front of the building, portraying its name – The Void.

It seemed that everyone in town knew about The Void; it had been considered Amity Park's coolest hot spot for dates or hanging out as soon as it opened, but even then many people were wary of entering. A lot of citizens assumed it was haunted simply because rumors spread like wildfire about the dark interior as well as the gothic owner. The people that actually chose to visit The Void thought it was creepy, but enjoyed their drinks and snacks nonetheless. It seemed like a good place to hide out from the world and just chill, and that's exactly what Danny needed right now.

Spotting his destination, Danny gripped the steering wheel as he looked for a place to park in the lot. He was ready to bounce out of the truck and wash away the bitter taste of the week's events from his mouth. There was only one moment when he hesitated on whether or not he should even go to a bar – surely his parents and sister would be disappointed in the youngest Fenton possibly getting drunk – but the halfa realized as soon as the thought came that he didn't care. He just wanted to do something kind of irresponsible just this once. He wanted to make just one dumb decision instead of having to deal with everything right then and there. That decision just so happened to be going to a weird gothic bar and getting somewhat plastered.

Like an arrow facing its target, Danny darted through the lot and towards the dark building. Deep blue eyes watched as a few people left the building, glad to see at least one sober individual taking on the role as the designated driver. As reckless as he wanted to be, there wasn't a chance in hell that Danny Fenton would ever drive – or even fly – drunk. And if he thought for one moment that another person was, he would have used their cell phone to call a cab and given them enough fare to ride home.

It was when he reached the entrance and stepped inside that the blue-eyed male let out a relieved sigh. He didn't even know he was holding his breath until he took that first step. He didn't see anyone dressed as ghosts, especially as himself, and that was more relieving than anything.

The Void's interior was creepy, he'd give it that. The room was rather dark with nothing but cleverly placed candles and black lights keeping the building illuminated enough to see clearly. The floor was a dark purple, and the tables were a deep burgundy. There were speakers overhead, playing a heavy metal song in the background, ensuring that there wasn't any awkward silence and barely masking the sound of glasses clinking together like windchimes every so often. Danny wasn't the least surprised to see that said glasses were in the shape of skulls and bats.

As weird as The Void appeared, it also gave off a relaxed feeling that the raven-haired boy welcomed wholeheartedly. He needed to chill, and he knew that he picked the best place to calm his nerves… Somewhat. Danny was still upset about everything that happened.

"Marrying him… Him!" He muttered to himself as he made his way to the bar, picking the seat furthest from the entrance. "Of all the stupid guys she's dated, and she decides to marry that… That…"

"Dick?" A voice supplied from behind the counter.

"Yeah! That dic—Hey, where are you?"

A female's head popped up with a smirk, holding up a clear bottle from what was probably a bottom shelf.

If Danny wasn't so pissed at Jazz and Dash, he probably would have gotten embarrassed over his ranting, or even distracted by the attractive amethyst-eyed girl standing behind the counter, but instead he nodded towards her and went on with his ranting.

"He's just a jerk! And I _know_ she knows how he treats everyone, but what does she do?! She decides to marry the dick!"

When a cup was placed before him, Danny didn't even bother to ask what was in it. Instead, he decided to down the entire thing and place the clear container back on the counter.

"That'll bring on some ugly children," the woman mused as she poured more liquid into the glass.

Snorting, Danny was already formulating a response as he – this time slowly – took the drink. However, he stopped mid-sip to stare at the woman incredulously only to see her still with that smirk and arms now crossed, as if she were waiting for something.

"Is this water?"

Rolling her eyes and scooting what was clearly a bottle of water in front of him, the female looked like she was ready to laugh at his shock. "You are way too angry to drink, dude."

This only made Danny's shock turn to anger as he frowned down at the glass.

"You'd be angry, too, if your life was such a disaster. I think I earned the right to get drunk after today."

"Because some girl is marrying an asshole? That seems more like their problem than yours."

He was ready to stand up and walk away. There was not a chance in hell that he was going to listen to another person judging his life. But instead, something made Danny decide to stay planted in his spot and avert his gaze back to the bartender, though her stance didn't change.

"She could always divorce him later on. Besides, if he's that bad there might not even be a wedding. Maybe if she's lucky, an anvil will drop on her head and make her come to her senses."

Now it was Danny's turn to roll his eyes as his frown deepened.

"Really though, I doubt that it's something you need to worry about. You'll get your chance, Romeo."

"Romeo—Oh! Ew, no!" Danny scooted back slightly, waving his hands in front of himself and making a face of disgust. "I'm talking about Jazz, my sister! She's marrying a major jerk!"

A choked laugh escaped the raven-haired woman's purple lips as Danny's face grew red from both irritation and embarrassment.

"Sorry, I just assumed that you were just another jealous guy in the friendzone who really just waited too long to make his move." Moving a strand of hair out of her eyes, the bartender turned around and started looking through the cabinets. "Man, I was way off."

Oddly enough, the woman's comments began to ease Danny as he tapped his fingers on the glass for a moment, watching her from his seat. "Well, you know what happens when you assume."

The woman froze for just a second before continuing her search, "You know, I spent my whole life telling people to stop being so judgmental, and yet here I am." After seeming to finally find the object of her search, the woman turned around with a wry grin and what appeared to be a bottle of vodka. "Pot, meet kettle."

"Actually, my name is Danny," he introduced himself, blue eyes dancing with a small hint of amusement.

"Sam. And if you call me Samantha, I _will_ kick your ass."

"Noted," Danny replied as she placed a bat-shaped shot glass before him.

"I thought you said your name was Danny."

Rolling his eyes once more, the blue-eyed male mused inwardly that his eyes very well may just fall out one of these days. "Funny, I wouldn't have pegged you for the comedy type."

"What did we just say about assuming?" A playful glare made its way to her face as she began opening the clear bottle. "Actually, my best friend is always making dumb jokes. I think he's a bad influence."

This time it was Danny's turn to laugh, already feeling a little better. "He must be if he's trying to turn you into a funny goth."

Grumbling incoherently, Sam finished twisting the cap from the beverage and started pouring Danny a drink in the small glass on the counter. "Speaking of bad influences, I've decided to not force you to spend your entire night drinking nothing but water."

"Gee, thanks," Danny sarcastically quipped before gratefully taking the drink. He was well-aware of the purple eyes watching him.

"Now, you want to tell me what's _really_ bugging you?"


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, everyone! I am so sorry in the delay in last week's update. Things have just been so busy at home that I haven't had much time to finish writing this. I'm hoping that I can make up for it before I have to go to bed today (I work overnight, so like Sam I am kind of a creature of the night) with chapter five, but we'll just have to wait and see. If not, it'll definitely be out by Friday.

So, I kind of remember saying somewhere that I expect Kaleidoscope to go on for 10 chapters, but I realize that at this pace it'll probably be around for so much more than that... Especially considering we're already four chapters in and it is _still_ the same day. But don't worry, a time skip will occur eventually. In all honesty, I just really want to keep this story at a slow pace. Nothing irritates me more than a good story that rushes to the end.

 **ShadowDragon357:** Haha, I am so glad that I'm not the only one to like bartender/owner Sam. I feel like she's probably spent all her life hiding from her parents and looking for a place to hang out, so it would just come naturally to help other people find solace at her bar, in all its dark glory. Jazz and Sam will definitely butt heads a lot, but it's only because Jazz is overprotective of Danny and expects a lot out of him. Sam, on the other hand, is pretty lax about certain things, though she's still pretty responsible. Don't worry though, I like the idea of Jazz and Sam eventually getting past their differences like they did in the show.

 **elnine27:** Aw, I hope I can do this story justice then. I have a soft spot for fluff, too.

Also, I have been going back and forth in deciding whether or not to keep this story rated T or M. Obviously with a bar-au, there is going to be drinking and I don't want to promote that for young readers. Drinking does **not** solve problems, but it can definitely make new problems. I just don't want to send the wrong message out. Besides that, my other concern has been the language because there's definitely going to be curing going on. Aside from that, I don't really plan on this story becoming sexual - for now, at least - and so I am on the fence on which rating works best. I honestly feel like T should work for now, considering how so many other fics are rated T and are much more "adult" in their own ways. I guess until I possibly, eventually, feel comfortable enough with writing out an explicit scene, the rating for this story will remain as T. Feel free to let me know your own thoughts on the matter.

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

 _"Now, you want to tell me what's_ _ **really**_ _bugging you?"_

Had it not have been for Sam's question – or, more truthfully, the answer to said question – Danny would have found humor in the cliché scenario the two had found themselves in. Danny, a troubled guy dealing with personal stresses and not being sure how to handle them; and Sam, a pragmatic bartender ready to lay out advice while serving drinks. He probably would have made some sort of sarcastic or goofy comment about it, too, if not for all the responses swimming through his head.

Sam must have noticed his pause, as she leaned forward slightly on the counter and once again crossed her arms.

"Look, you don't have to answer that. You just seemed like you needed to vent about something that pissed you off, and I doubt it was just your sister marrying some jerk."

Danny refused to look at the woman before him. There was not a chance in hell that he was going to get _that look_ from a complete stranger. Instead, his gaze remained on his drink, which was now sitting on the counter as his fingers tapped against the glass tentatively. He tried and failed to keep the small frown from his face as he was once again thinking about everything that had happened.

"It's nothing new or important, so don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried about it," the amethyst-eyed woman replied matter-of-factly.

He hadn't expected this type of response, and the slight surprise was enough for him to glance up just in time to see Sam move away to assist another customer with a re-fill on their beer.

 _Great, Fenton, just keep pushing everyone away. First your family, and now strangers that just want to help you. How immature can you be?_

While Danny was busy chiding himself, he failed to notice that Sam had made her way back to her spot and was once again speaking to him. It wasn't until she nudged his shoulder that he looked up and saw her standing in front of him. He expected her to have _that look_ , full of pity and concern, but instead her expression was one of irritation.

"Jeez, do you always space out and ignore people?"

"Uh, no, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind," he lamely replied while lifting his glass for another drink.

"Obviously. You were so zoned out that you completely ignored what I was saying."

"Yeah, sorry…" Danny one again apologized after taking a sip of his third – wait, fourth – drink.

Part of him was waiting for the buzz to kick in. Maybe then he'd be able to focus on something other than the mess he called his life. Placing the glass back on the counter, Danny waited for another refill from Sam. Instead, she stared at him expectantly, irritation clearly growing. It was then that Danny realized that Sam had said something before, and was probably waiting for him to snap out of it and respond. Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, the halfa decided he'd rather find out what she was saying than to further her aggravation.

"Right, so what were you saying?"

The goth rolled her eyes while grabbing the glass and scooting it towards her side of the counter. Danny watched as she began sliding it back and forth on the counter between her hands, almost like a cat playing with a ball of yarn.

"I said that I'm not worried about it because I doubt it's that big of a deal. You're either overreacting or overthinking whatever is going on. Nothing is ever as bad as we make it out to be."

Danny wasn't sure to call her ignorant and be angry because she didn't know his struggles, or to relent and agree with her words because they actually made sense to him. However, being the stubborn guy that he was, Danny chose the former and his anger once again erupted as he growled under his breath and turned his head away.

"You have no right."

"Excuse me?"

"You have no right to downplay things when you don't even _know_ what's going on."

"I'm not downplaying anything, Danny. I just think you should chill and realize it isn't even _that_ bad. We all have the tendency to overreact sometimes. It's just another depressing part of being human."

 _Try being half ghost_ , he bitterly bit back before shifting his gaze back towards her amethyst eyes while narrowing his own blue orbs at the bartender.

"I'm not overreacting," he began while gripping the counter with his hands, "how would you feel if you flunked out of college TWICE _and_ had to move back in with your parents – who, might I add, treat me as if I'm a child - at 24?! Not to mention that I don't even have a damn job and my bank tellers are probably laughing at me every time they see my bank statement."

Danny huffed in a rough mixture of annoyance and aggravation as he turned in his seat and continued. "Now I find out that my sister is marrying my childhood bully, on top of all this other shit. I'm just a loser waiting for one of those cartoon anvils to fall on my head – then I'd be all set."

While he planned to just slam some money on the counter and storm out, Danny soon found himself stumbling towards the floor and feeling slightly disoriented. _Oh yeah, the vodka. Greeeeaaat._ He barely managed to catch himself from faceplanting the ground, though with a little help.

"Easy there, tiger." Sam said as she made her way to him and allowed the slightly taller male to lean on her for support. "Man, you barely had anything and you're already tripping over your own two feet. I'm guessing that either you're extremely clumsy, or you just can't handle your liquor."

Danny only mumbled under his breath in response and got back to his seat. He could almost feel her eyes watching him, but he kept his head low and stared at the counter.

"Look, I know that this may go against my whole goth image, but with every grey cloud comes a silver lining. You just have to look for it." Normally the raven-haired male would have scoffed at such a cheesy and overused statement, but stopped when he felt a slender hand grabbing his own. He still refused to look up, but he also didn't interrupt her or move his hand away. Instead, he simply waited to see where she was going with this.

"So what if you flunked out of college? There's still so many things and opportunities for you in the world. Besides, if you really wanted to then you could always go back – maybe even do part time classes online. But if not, who cares? It's not the end of the world. Tons of people choose to not even attend college. I didn't, and I'm not a loser for it. Neither are you for flunking."

Okay, so that made Danny feel _kind of_ better. He knew he could always go back, but he didn't see the point of it. Still, even though what she was saying made perfect sense, part of him wanted to just hold on to that anger and argue that without the proper education, he'd never be able to follow his dreams of working with NASA. Before he could even bring this up, Sam continued on with her speech.

"And besides," she began bitterly, "I doubt your parents are nearly as bad as mine… I know how lame it might feel to be stuck moving back home, but it's no big deal. You all just have to talk things out and get on the same page about some boundaries. They'll probably always see you as their little boy, but I doubt they're blind to the man you've become. Hell, maybe they just want to give you some sort of normalcy with this transition. And it's not like it's permanent. You have all the time in the world to save up and move out."

Once again, Sam's words were making sense, though Danny still refused to look up at her amethyst eyes. He just knew she'd probably be wearing _that look_ , and he wanted not another person's pity. He was so damn tired of people looking at him like he was a wounded animal whenever he had to tell them about school and life in general. However, that didn't mean he would stay silent.

"Again, no job. How am I supposed to save up and move out when I don't even have a job to support myself with?"

Danny could hear many things in the bar, from the sounds of people chattering to the pulsing beat of the song that had just started playing in the background. Glasses clinking together, almost like windchimes on a breezy summer day echoed all around. Despite all these noises, Danny felt as if it had become too silent and finally looked up. His eyes started from the delicate hand that was still covering his, and trailed upwards to finally be met with those of a deep purple. He would have found it strange for Sam to suddenly become quiet in the middle of her speech, but he stopped himself from questioning her as he noted her thoughtful expression.

"You could work here."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

Guess who has two thumbs and decided to update her story even though she promised an extra update last week and failed to deliver? This chick!

Yeah, sorry about the late-ish update. I had most of this already written and ready to go right after I had posted chapter four, but I still had more to write and edit and couldn't find time to do so. But you guys know that no matter what, I update every week, and here it is.

 **mikaela2015:** Thank you! So you have wished it, so- oh, you know the rest, haha.

 **ShadowDragon357** **:** My thoughts exactly, thanks! I don't really plan on Kaleidoscope becoming mature any time soon, but if and when it should happen then I'll definitely change it to the appropriate rating. Haha, yes, you totally called it! I was super excited when you guessed it, but I was afraid I would spoil the whole story. But don't worry, Danny can handle it. I actually hadn't thought about that! Now that you mention it, it does seem like that would be such a Danny thing to do.

Also, as I continue to update this I have been finding myself overwhelmed with story ideas. I have two in particular that I would like to work on along with continuing Kaleidoscope, but I'm not sure which to start with. Neither of them are companions to this story, but I still think you guys would enjoy them. In fact, I'd be honored if you guys helped me choose which one to start first:

One of the ideas is set back when the show had first started, with the trio being 14 and Jazz being 16. Basically, Jazz befriends Sam despite their differences and Danny develops a crush on his sister's new friend. Sam, Danny, and Tucker know each other a little bit from school, but they never really hung out.

The other idea is set with the trio being 16/17. Danny's parents are very obviously terrible cooks, so they spend a great deal of time having dinner delivered. It is always Danny's preference that they order pizza rather than anything else, but whenever he does everyone shares a knowing look because it's only because he likes talking to the delivery girl - Sam. He had met her a couple of times at school and they always seemed to find each other in detention, but he never really had the confidence to hold a conversation with her other than these moments when she's delivering the food.

What are your thoughts? Which one would you rather see? Or is there something else you'd like me to write?

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

"Woah, wait. What did you say?"

It had to have been the alcohol. It had to. There was no way that Danny heard her correctly; there was no way that this complete stranger was offering him a job just because he said he didn't have one. This only happened in movies, obviously. No one in their right mind would hire a random person with no experience, no resume – not even an application – right then and there. Damn that alcohol.

"I said that you could work here," Sam repeated once again before walking off towards a room to the left, clearly marked 'Office.'

 _So maybe it wasn't the alcohol and I did hear her correctly,_ Danny thought, though his eyes never left the door. _This cannot be real. I bet this is all an elaborate prank that Jazz set up. Sam is probably going to come back with my whole family and a camera crew or something. I just know it._

While the thought of his sister's engagement and the job offer being a huge joke entertained him, Danny knew there was no way such a thing would be possible. He wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but at least it was _something._ Any doubts he had on the seriousness of Sam's offer were quenched when she finally made her way out of the office, pen and papers in hand.

"You're serious?" he asked as she took a seat next to him and watched as she began scribbling things down on a sticky note attached to what he assumed was a job application.

"As serious as a heart attack," she replied before smirking, "and just as deadly."

"You don't even know my last name."

"Which is why you can write it down with the rest of your information right here on this cool thing us adults like to call a job application. Pretty interesting, huh?"

Ignoring her mocking tone, Danny remained silent as he gave Sam a pointed look. Apparently she was good at ignoring things, too, as she dangled the papers in front of his face.

"Not that I expect you to fill it out right now, Mr. Lightweight. You can bring it back whenever for an interview, if you decide you want to give bartending a try. Just don't wait too long if you _do_ want to work here. I don't wait around for anyone."

Fighting back a retort, Danny grabbed the papers and began reading the sticky note.

"You know, whenever I imagined a pretty girl at a bar giving me her number, I didn't really expect a job offer to come along with it," he joked, still perplexed about the whole situation. "What's the catch?"

He wasn't sure what was more amusing – her small blush at being called pretty or the fact that he _knew_ her response to his statement would be rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. A chuckle escaped his lips as Danny glanced back down to the papers.

"Another comment like that and you'll be working at The Pub Zone instead. I hear they have a nice pair of overalls in your size."

"Oh, no way! I am NOT dressing up as the _Box Ghost."_

For a split second, Danny felt a migraine coming on just at the thought of having to wear a Box Ghost costume, so he held his hands out defensively and jokingly pouted. He almost joined in when Sam snorted a small laugh at his reaction.

"But you're right about one thing. There is a small catch."

"If you tell me that I have to dress up as the Box Ghost, I'll lure him here with the biggest box I can find and make this place his new haunt."

Sam grimaced, obviously not wanting such an annoying ghost destroying her bar. Little did she know that said-ghost wasn't too far from The Void – in the very parking lot, stuck inside a Fenton Thermos.

"Not a chance in hell. And no, that isn't it."

If Danny wasn't so sure that she'd probably send him over to The Pub Zone – or possibly even kick his ass – he would have laughed at her response. He'd like to think that he still had an ounce of dignity left, and he wasn't ready to throw it out along with the rest of his half-life.

"So, what _is_ the catch? You know, if I were to fill this out and pass your interview?"

For a second, Danny expected Sam to respond with a menacing joke about the dress code, but instead grew curious as he took in her thoughtful expression. His curiosity only grew as his deep blue eyes watched the young goth excuse herself and stood from her seat. Once again, she headed back towards the office room. _What the hell is she up to?_

There was a moment when Danny had considered getting up from his spot and following the strange woman. She, someone he had only just met for the first time today, had managed to somewhat ease his anger after the day's events and was now trying to _help_ him. He knew that it wasn't quite an official job offer – he still needed to fill out the application laying before him and follow-up with an actual interview – but it was definitely a start.

She didn't even give him _that look_ when he ranted about his failures, and for that he was even more grateful. _This sounds too good to be true… But if it's real…_ A smile found its way to the halfa's face as his fingers traced the application in appreciation. He didn't have an inkling as to what Sam's catch might be, but part of him really didn't care. _How bad could it be?_

It was then that he saw the raven-haired bar owner leave the office, though she wasn't empty-handed. Clenched in her small left hand was a Dumpty Humpty coffee mug, steaming with what appeared to be freshly brewed coffee. Now Danny's curiosity was overwhelmed by his confusion as Sam hopped back to her seat and scooted the mug in front of the male.

If he had been more paranoid, the halfa would have once again gone back to assuming all of this was just an elaborate prank. A confusing, weird, and too-brilliant-to-be-real type of prank. Despite the clearly amused smirk that appeared on the goth's face, something in Danny's gut told him that it wasn't a prank and that he should trust the girl. Confusion and skepticism remained on his own expression, but nevertheless he grabbed the mug and slowly sipped the warm beverage.

"So… The catch is that I drink coffee?"

Sam's smirk only grew as she held back a laugh, "No. The coffee is part of the catch though. You just need to sober up a little first."

"And that catch would be…?" Danny asked as he placed the mug back on the counter and turned to better face his potential employer.

"You have to go home."


	6. Chapter 6

I had every intention of writing this out yesterday, but got caught up in heading out of town with my family. What was supposed to be a trip to the mall for comics turned into a trip to the pet store for another ferret, appropriately named Harley Quinn.

I'm not 10000% proud of this chapter - mostly the ending, because it feels kind of rushed to me. But I really wanted to finish day one here, y'all. Pretty soon, Tucker and Val will make their debuts. You'll also be seeing a ton more DxS moments as the duo gets to know one another. I'm really excited for that.

 **ShadowDragon357:** Right? Sam's sarcasm is the best medicine. Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I totally see your point - the pizza delivery one doesn't really have much substance for a plot other than Danny's embarrassment and some fluff. Funny thing is, I actually started to write it a few days ago and it changed into something completely different, and much more serious in a sense. I saved the draft in my WIPs folder and plan on finishing it as a totally different story once I get more ideas rolling, but I still plan on doing the pizza delivery oneshot. The other fic - with Sam befriending Jazz - has already been started, too. Keep your eye out because you'll probably see the prologue floating around here any day now. I'm thinking it will be 10 chapters (not including the prologue) unless it develops into something greater, which is a possibility given what I have written for it so far.

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

"I have… To go home?" Danny repeated, not quite sure if he heard the woman before him correctly. _Or maybe it really IS the alcohol messing with my mind…_

A frown found its way to his face as the halfa glanced down at the mug, though it didn't quite reach his confused eyes.

"That's right," Sam answered, her smirk relaxing into a small smile. "If you're possibly going to be working here soon, I can't have you getting drunk just because you're pissed off at the world. I like rebellion as much as the next girl, but not when it means doing something stupid."

Now Danny was _really_ confused, though his frown weakened a bit.

"You own a bar. Shouldn't you _want_ people to get wasted?"

Sam's smile dropped momentarily, and Danny knew instantly that he had said something stupid.

"I don't. I just want people to have a cool place to hang out when they need away from the world. I know it's not really my business as to why some of them choose to get drunk, but I'd rather it be for reasons other than an outlet for their frustrations," she paused, thoughtfully, before edging slightly closer to the somewhat intoxicated male and poking his chest. "And that goes double for anyone working with me."

A dry chuckle escaped Danny's throat as he nervously rubbed the back of his head, further ruffling his ebony locks. "Sorry, Sam. I get what you mean, I think. You just confused me with that 'catch' it all."

"Good."

A playful smirk once again graced the delicate woman's features, and it suddenly became clear to the halfa that he'll probably be seeing it a lot more often. Not that he was complaining, no.

Although she didn't seem like the approachable type, Danny could tell that she was pretty easy to talk to and get along with. _A friendly goth,_ he mused while taking another sip of the warm coffee.

"You better have more tact in the interview. If not," her amethyst eyes danced in amusement, "I might have to start up a new dress code around here."

"Oh no, I am not wearing any damned overalls!"

"No, but you could definitely go goth. I have plenty of black eyeliner and nail polish to go around."

The blue-eyed male barked out a laugh, barely managing to stop himself from spluttering out his beverage. A light blush began to form on his cheeks as he realized exactly how tactless he must have been all night.

"I'll have to remember that…"

Sam could only roll her eyes at the sheepish guy, though her tone remained light, "You better, because now overalls aren't sounding like such a bad idea."

"Now that's just cruel," he joked while drinking up more of the caffeinated drink. _Damn, this tastes pretty good._

"I'm a goth. It kind of comes with the territory. You know, along with the unusual."

"Either way it's punishment, and I definitely don't want that."

For about an hour, the two would exchange sarcastic comments and wind up laughing. It was a pleasant change for Danny, especially after dealing with a rather hellacious week. He was genuinely surprised that angrily heading out to The Void was an actual good thing, and that it wasn't going to end with him doing something insanely stupid. In fact, he actually felt more and more comfortable there as he finished yet another cup of coffee and continued to converse with the enigma that was Sam Manson.

While a lot of people were most likely put off by her dark – and slightly revealing – clothing, Danny thought they complimented the bar owner's features. In fact, they paired well with her milky skin and seemed to give her purple eyes a brilliant shine. Her personality, though sarcastic and somewhat snarky, was much more lax than others gave her credit for. Danny had figured that people probably took her remarks as rude and mean, but he knew they were from quick-witted thinking.

In fact, Sam didn't seem very rude at all – considering she willingly listened to Danny rant about his problems and offered him a job to help him get on his feet. She even managed to get Danny to laugh quite a few times, which was not something he thought he'd be doing tonight of all nights.

She was strange, almost like a puzzle without the picture preview, and the halfa knew that he would happily enjoy discovering all of the different pieces.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a nudge on his shoulder, causing him to turn his attention back to Sam. "Huh?"

"You good now?" she asked, nodding towards his now empty mug.

"Yeah, thanks. I guess I'll held home now," he stood and began fishing out his very worn wallet. "How much do I owe?"

To his surprise, a small laugh was the response as Sam once again crossed her arms. "It's on the house, man. Just go home, rest up, and work on that tact. Do you need me to call you a ride?"

Chuckling to himself, Danny shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. I don't really get drunk that easily, and the coffee definitely helped."

"Says the guy who nearly fell flat on his face earlier."

It became apparent rather quickly that Sam's smirk was almost like her trademark mannerism along with eye rolls and crossed arms. Kind of like when Danny rolls his own eyes or nervously – and often sheepishly - rubbed the back of his head, the latter of which he was doing now.

"Right… I'm actually a pretty clumsy person. You'll realize that once you get to know me."

"There's the confident potential employee I was hoping to see out of you."

"At least I wasn't being cocky, right?" Danny asked with a smirk of his own.

"Something tells me you're saving that for another time," she supplied while beginning to wipe down the counter.

"Heh, yeah. I guess I'll go home now and face the wrath of my family."

"Good luck with that. Just remember what we talked about. And fill these out," grabbing the papers from the counter and handing them to Danny, she continued, "I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of you pretty soon."

Giving the woman a small smile, Danny nodded. "You can count on it. See you, Sam," turning to leave, the blue-eyed male stopped and gave the goth one last look. "And thanks again, for everything."

"Don't mention it."

With that, Danny went home feeling much better than he had earlier as he thought about his talk with Sam. It's funny that such a dark place and a complete stranger could lift his spirits.

Pun not intended.

Even with his sister bitching at him for abruptly leaving and the slight hint of alcohol on his breath, and despite his parents' over excited behavior over Jazz and Dash's engagement, Danny could not shake off the small feeling that told him things will start looking up pretty soon.

Smiling for no reason in particular, the raven-haired boy began scribbling down his information on the application.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

So, I've come to the conclusion that I:

1) Suck at coming up with chapter names  
2) Should probably practice at writing Jack Fenton; for an eccentric, goofball scientist, he's surprisingly hard to write for compared to the other characters. I hope I did Jack justice. If not, I totally owe him a shit ton of fudge.

How are you guys doing? I really hope you like this chapter - it's actually a lot longer than I thought it'd be. I didn't even put in everything I had wanted, but beggars can't be choosers. I just really wanted Jack to make his official debut and for he and Danny to have a little talk. Let me know what you guys think! I am excited for the direction Kaleidoscope is going, even with its slow pace. That's just more to read, right?

 **mikaela2015:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

 **ShadowDragon357:** Oh no, she'll hate the idea of Danny working at a bar instead of going after his ambitions; that's a given. Personally, I'm kind of excited to write out her reaction. Not that I want to write Jazz out to be a bitch or anything, in fact I love Jazz's character. I just think she'd be less enthused about her little brother "throwing his intelligence" away and not pushing forward with his education. Obviously, Danny is going to try his best with the interview. But you're right, Sam already has a favorable opinion on him; I've always believed that Sam and Danny are more alike than some may think regarding their backgrounds. I hope that I can properly show these similarities throughout the story.

 **LadyStarfilia:** Thank you so much! I really appreciate your feedback! I was actually kind of nervous about how I am writing everyone, but I'm glad that you guys are enjoying it so far. You'll be seeing Tucker around soon; Val, too! And thanks- I actually have a little announcement about one of the stories I am also writing!

With Kaleidoscope getting such positive feedback, I've been feeling a burst of inspiration hit me. I have so many story ideas, and I have them all typed up on a list. I am totally going to write and publish each and every one of them, but my main focus will be Kaleidoscope. That being said, starting next week I will also be uploading the prologue to my newest story: Mismatched Connections! It will be another au, but much more relevant to the show. And, of course, it'll be full of DxS.

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

The next morning found Danny Fenton feeling quite fidgety as he tried to get ready for his interview with Sam. He wanted to look his absolute best, knowing he needed to make a good – well, better – impression. While he knew that Sam would probably be fine with him wearing just a normal T-shirt and jeans – hell, it would probably be an upgrade compared to the disheveled mess he was yesterday – Danny wanted to show her that he was taking the interview seriously. It was the least he could do, considering she had to deal with his moodiness and whining the day prior.

Blue eyes searched his closet, trying to find his favorite dress shirt. It wasn't anything special; just a maroon button-up shirt paired nicely with a black tie and a pair of slacks. Danny would always jokingly refer it as his lucky outfit, mostly because he wore it during his entrance interview with the Dean of the University of Illinois and managed not to screw it all up. It was no coincidence that this was also the same outfit Danny wore on the very rare occasion that he managed to get a date or had to attend any type of meeting with his parents.

Finally finding the object of his search, Danny carefully pulled the shirt from its hanger and began changing.

 _Man, I don't know why I'm so nervous about this,_ Danny thought to himself. _It's just an interview. Besides, I almost bet Sam just wanted to do this so she could formally offer the job… She wouldn't have given me her information and the papers if she was just going to turn me down._

"Right?" The halfa mumbled quietly to himself, trying to calm his nerves as he began buttoning up the shirt and faced the mirror. "There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about, Sam—"

Two loud knocks interrupted his one-sided conversation, much to Danny's relief and irritation.

"It's open!"

"Danny-boy, your mom and I were talking and- hey! You're looking snazzy today! Got a hot date we don't know about?" Jack asked as he nudged his son, nearly causing Danny to lose his balance.

"Dad!" the red-faced boy shouted as he regained his composure. Trying to hide his embarrassment, Danny turned away to finish the last few buttons. "Uhm, no. I, uh, actually have a job interview today."

Danny didn't have to look as his dad to know how disappointed he must have been. Though eccentric in his career and personality, Jack had always held on to the more traditional aspects of fatherhood. He would always take Danny out for some father-son bonding, usually through camping trips and sporting events. No matter where they went or what they did, the Fenton patriarch would always go off on a tangent about ghost hunting and how Danny would someday join both Jack and Maddie on their ghoulish escapades.

As a kid, Danny was always entertained by the idea, but he always let his parents know that he'd rather be an astronaut. Those feelings only grew along with the younger male, to the point that he began to feel somewhat ashamed of the idea of someday taking over Fenton Works. His thoughts on the matter only became more conflicted when he gained his ghost powers during that fateful accident in the portal. Danny had tried to ignore the many ghost attacks until he realized that a great responsibility had been pushed upon his shoulders.

Not that he wasn't grateful for his powers, not at all. In fact, if he had the choice to re-do everything, there wasn't a thing he would change. Not the awkwardness he experienced during his first year as a half-ghost. Not all of the lame and sometimes embarrassing excuses he had to use when trying to cover up his reasons for running away each time there was a ghost attack. Not even the difficult, gruesome fights he had to go through on a regular basis. It was difficult, yes, but Danny would do it all again if it meant being able to soar peacefully through the skies and the feeling he got whenever he saved even just one person.

"Oh…"

Danny didn't need to turn around to know that his father was frowning; he could almost hear it in his voice, though it didn't last too long.

"But son, your mom and I were talking, and we decided to start training you to be a full-pledged ghost hunter!" His voice was now brimming with pride as the larger male slapped a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Dad…" Danny grimaced as he turned. "I really appreciate you guys helping me out, but I don't think I'm exactly ready to take on the family business…"

"Nonsense, my boy! Your mom can start teaching you hand-to-hand combat, and I can teach you all about our awesome gadgets! Together, we'll destroy those monsters and tear 'em all apart molecule-by-molecule!"

 _Ouch, that still hurts to hear._ "Right, dad, but I still want to finish school someday and get into astronomy. You know how I feel about that…"

"But Danny, now is the perfect time to get you involved with our work! You're young and have plenty of free time to learn all of the skills and tactics that come along with being a great ghost hunter. It's still science, but without all of those spacey things. You can be a paranormal hero, just like your old man."

Danny tried his best not to groan in exasperation, he really did.

"Look, maybe later I might look into that stuff… But right now I want to broaden my horizon, you know? I'm totally grateful that you guys want to help, but right now I'd like to get my life back on track on my own. I need to be a little independent before I even think about getting into anything like that."

Danny stared at his father with silently pleading eyes, hoping his father would take the bait and hold off on any more ghost-hunting talk. As much as he didn't want it to, the younger Fenton knew that his refusals were constantly breaking his parents' hearts. Luckily, they always seemed to recover quickly until the next time.

"I know what you're doing," Jack gave a heart laugh as he ruffled Danny's hair. "You're wanting to rough it out before you join the big dogs."

"Uh, sure, yeah. That's exactly what I'm doing."

"I'm proud of you, son!" The patriarch boomed before making his way out of Danny's room. "Good luck on your job interview, and don't forget to take out the trash before you go!"

Danny watched as his father left, a sick feeling entering the pit of his stomach. "Man… I am the world's worst son."

He hated lying like that, but he didn't want to break his father's heart with rejection again. Someday, hopefully a long time from now, Danny might actually tell his parents the truth and join them in fighting destructive ghosts. For now, however, all he could do is lie about his "hobbies" and put off the inevitable for as long as he could.

 _At least he didn't ask about the interview…_

Despite being yelled at by Jazz for smelling like alcohol the night prior, Danny hadn't told anyone about the bar or his talk with Sam. He refused to let his family know that he was probably going to start working as a bartender. As disappointed as they were in his dream of being an astronaut – and the disappointment they tried to hide when it came to his academics – Danny was fearful as to how they might react to such news. His parents would probably get angry or talk him out of it; they might even try to push him harder into working with them. It would take some time, but they would probably come around and accept that it would just be a job to get him on his feet again. Jazz, however…

Danny loves his family, especially his sister. She was the only one who knew that he was Phantom, even going as far as covering for him whenever he had to rush out the door or when he would come home beaten and battered. She helps him more times than he can even begin to list, and he would always be grateful for her role in his heroism and as a big sister. It brought them closer, until she started attending Yale and became too invested in her studies.

He was proud of her accomplishments, of course, but he didn't appreciate how stuck-up she could be sometimes. It only increased her know-it-all attitude and her need to psychoanalyze his every move, and it didn't bode well with him in the slightest. The siblings began to drift apart bit-by-bit, which only became more prominent when the red headed girl started dating Dash Baxter.

Sometimes she turned a blind eye to the bully's antics, only frustrating the halfa that much more because she used to protect him from Dash's harsh words and mean gestures. Not that he needed protecting now, but it was nice knowing she had his back then. Now, not so much. He didn't even want to think about what she would say about him working at The Void.

Pushing those thoughts away, Danny began combing his hair to undo the mess his father had made. As much as he liked messy hair, this was just too much.

 _Well, it's now or never._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

So I had every intention of including a ton of DxS in the chapter, but I simply _needed_ to include a better Jazz/Danny and Maddie/Danny moment in here. With that being said, I've already started on chapter nine and you'll all be happy to know that it will be Sam-centered. Danny will have his interview, the two will get to talking (possibly a nice touch of flirting for all of my fellow die-hard shippers out there). I think you guys will really enjoy it, but I hope you also enjoy this chapter, too. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did, but I'm pretty glad with how it turned out. It might not have been asked a lot, but I think you guys deserved to see Maddie's view on the whole Jazz x Dash thing.

 **ShadowDragon357:** I'd say so, too. Jack might be a goofy guy, but he has a big heart and just wants to share the family 'legacy' with his children. He's proud of Fenton Works, and he's proud of his children. In the end, he's like any traditional father figure, wanting their kids to become invested in the family business. But he's not dumb, he knows that Danny isn't quite interested or ready to be a ghost hunter (like you said, little do they know). That's why he's so willing to let Danny do his own thing until he is ready. Oh yeah, Sam's going to love it. I think you'll like the next chapter quite well, my friend.

Whew, guys, I am beat. I've written more in the past two days than I have in the past month. I hope you guys like this chapter, along with chapter one of Mismatched Connections and parts one and two of Valentine's Resolutions. Expect the third and final part to be posted sometime either tonight before I head off to work or early in the morning when I'm back home. If I'm still in the writing zone, I'll probably try to finish chapter nine of Kaleidoscope while I'm at it.

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

Danny tried to remain as quiet as possible as he crept downstairs, hoping to make it out the door without being seen or heard by his mother and Jazz. Dealing with his father's pushiness was bad enough, he didn't want to go ahead and announce to his family that he might be working at a bar soon. His parents already thought he was a ruffian at times as-is. He didn't want to disappoint his mother with a job that she didn't really approve of, and he'd be damned if he was going to sit through another one of Jazz's lectures on how he was wasting his life away.

They had good intentions, of course, but sometimes a guy has to choose his own path in life.

Saving the world and its inhabitants aside, Danny felt like he had been doing a terrible job at adulting, and now was the time for him to change that. He would rather be an astronaut, living it up in Florida and working with rocket launches and studies, but he wasn't about to complain about a decent job offer. He was grateful for Sam's listening ears and help, and what made it a little more bearable was how she managed to dissolve his anger and actually talked to him about what was going on. It might not have seemed like much, but to him it was everything.

One would have thought that after years and years of being half-ghost, Danny would have the common sense to just turn invisible and fly out of his room. But no, he had to sneak out like a child leaving the house on a school night. Even that should have been easy, if not for Danny's knack of being a complete klutz.

With a loud 'oof,' the male tripped and fell just as he had managed to make his way to the bottom step. _Shit._

"Danny, is that you? Are you okay?"

He heard a clatter of footsteps and knew that his mom and Jazz were on their way to check on him. _Shit, shit, shit._ He mentally cursed himself for not immediately turning invisible, but it was too late. Annoyance and irritation flashed through the 24-year-old as he grabbed hold of the railing and pulled himself up.

"I'm fine," he answered while dusting himself off as the two females came into view. "I just tripped, it's no big deal."

In a way, he was hoping that his mother and sister _would_ make a big deal about his fall, just so it'd take their attention away from how early he was up and how nicely he was dressed. But when did anything ever go as he wanted?

"You look nice, Danny," Jazz observed with a look that totally said, 'I'm reading you like a book.'

"Aw, my little boy is all dressed up. What's the occasion, sweetie?"

"I just wanted to dress up today. Just like Jazz always says, 'Looking your best brings success.'"

Danny smiled a toothy grin, hoping it would be enough to convince the two women that he really just wanted to look nice for once. They seemed to be taking his words in consideration, so he hastily threw in a half-lie.

"I'm going to spend the day checking around town for places hiring so I can get back on my feet."

Bingo. Those were the magic words to make both women light up, happy to see the youngest Fenton being responsible.

"That's a great idea, little brother! Do you want me to help you with the job hunt?"

Just as Danny was about to reply, the sound of a car horn obnoxiously beeping caused the three Fenton's to jump slightly. _Never thought I'd be grateful for Dash to make an appearance._

"No, I think your man-child needs you more than I do."

"Danny…" his mom warned with a disappointed glare.

There was a moment when a flash of guilt flashed on Jazz's face, "Look, Danny-"

More beeps echoed their way throughout the house, once again cutting off their conversation.

With a sigh of exasperation and an apologetic look, the blue-eyed girl etched her way towards the door before momentarily stopping. "Let me know how the job search goes, okay?"

While Danny was still pretty upset with Jazz about a lot of things, he knew he couldn't stay angry forever. He let out a small breath and walked closer to his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll tell you how it goes."

The gesture wasn't much and Danny knew it. He had never been that good at comforting people, much less his older sister. Still, the smile that formed on her face in appreciation told him he did the right thing. It became even more obvious when he found himself being hugged tightly by the shorter girl.

"Thanks, little brother. I'll see you later."

Both Danny and his mother watched Jazz as she walked out, neither one not really knowing what to say. They both stood still, full of thought, until Maddie decided to break the silence.

"Danny, dear, I know it's going to take some getting used too, what with your and Dash's history… But this is Jazz's life and her decision. He makes her happy, and that's what is most important here."

"Mom, it's Dash… She's making a huge mistake."

"It's her mistake to make, hon." Danny frowned at this, but relaxed slightly when he felt his mom's small hand resting on his back, making comforting circular motions as she continued. "I can't say that I was too pleased when he first showed up at our door, but we have to remember that Jazz is a young woman now. She just needs to do what she feels is right for her."

"But he _isn't_ right for her."

"That's up to her to decide. Our job is to be here for her no matter what. Wouldn't you want that if you were in her place?"

"If I were Jazz, I wouldn't screw up my life by marrying that jerk. He just… What if she does marry him and everything goes downhill for her? What if they have kids and she's miserable?"

"Danny," Maddie's tone was one again stern as she looked at her son in the eyes. "We'll cross that bridge when and if we get there. For now, let's just focus on the present.

"Yeah, whatever," he agreed while shrugging his mom's hand away. He understood what his mom was trying to tell him, but that didn't mean he liked it. He loved his sister, even though she was a pain in the ass sometimes. "Look, I should get going."

"Danny, wait a second," his mother pleaded as she grabbed the halfa's hand. "You know you don't have to start looking for a job just yet, right? You should take some time and relax before you put yourself out there."

A small, genuine smile made its way to his face as Danny gave his mom's hand a light squeeze before pulling back. "I know that, but this is something I want to do. Besides… I think it'd do me some good to have something to do until I figured out what I wanted to do about college."

"Okay, but don't stress yourself out on this. It can take some time to find something that really works for you, temporary or not. And while we know how you feel about ghost hunting, you're more than welcome to join Team Fenton. We'll always have a spot open for you, sweetie."

There was a moment when Danny wanted to laugh, knowing full and well that he was already practically employed Instead, he settled for a swift nod and took a step towards the door.

"Thanks mom, it means a lot. I'll be back in time for dinner, okay?"

"Sure, sweetie. See you later."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

Guys, I totally fail. This is over a week late, and I am so sorry for not getting the chance to update this sooner. Chapter nine has been sitting on my computer this whole time, just waiting to be published, but when I tried to get on here I kept getting an error. That went on for like three days last week, so I am not sure if it was just my Internet or the site in general, though I'm thinking it was more or less the latter because my friend had trouble accessing this site, too. Then I was back to working and didn't really have the time to get on my computer. Ugh.

I am so, so sorry, but I hope this chapter kind of makes up for it, even if just a little bit. If not, don't fret, there's always the next update!

 **ShadowDragon357:** To be honest, I'm still deciding on how I want their relationship to turn out, too. It was kind of a last minute decision to pair Jazz and Dash, but it opens up so many possibilities. What if Dash realizes he's being a jerk and tries to change? What if he and Jazz realize they're not a good fit? Jazz wouldn't just agree to marry him if he was still _that_ bad, so I'm hoping I can find a way of showing the why's and how's of their relationship. As for the schedule, I'm hoping to keep it weekly. They will most likely each be updated on Wednesdays or Thursdays. I'll be spending more time updating Kaleidoscope, but for now I'm planning on keeping the updates for Mismatched Connections regular. Jeez, I still need to upload the final part to Valentine's Resolutions today, too.

 **MsFrizzle:** Holy bananas. I can't believe you just read and reviewed all eight chapters of Kaleidoscope. Thank you so much for your kind words and concerns! I usually try to respond to each and every review, but I also don't want to drag out this A/N excessively (which I tend to do already), so I am going to be sending you a PM to better thank you for all of the reviews and to address each review to clear up everything. But again, I am so glad that you are enjoying my story! I will definitely be keeping your words in mind during future chapters. It really means a lot to receive any type of criticism because you are undoubtedly aiding me of bettering myself as a writer. That being said, thank you again! I look forward from hearing back from you!

" _Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg_

* * *

As soon as he made it to his truck, Danny hightailed it the hell out of there, glad that he wouldn't have to deal with any more confrontations with his family… For now.

He loved his family, he truly did, and while he appreciated their efforts to help him out during this somewhat difficult time, he didn't want it. Not all of it, at least. He wanted, no, needed, some sort of independence back in his life. He couldn't live _and_ work with his parents. He needed space, even if it was just during regular (or irregular) business hours. And a gut feeling told him that handing in his scribbly application to Sam was the first step to achieving this.

A small smile made its way to his pale face as he thought of the goth, still wondering what type of anomaly she must be. She could have just served him silently and ignored his frustrated demeanor, but instead she actually listened and talked to him about it. She even managed to make him laugh here and there, and he definitely was not in the mood to laugh when he first entered The Void. If that's what it would be like working there, Danny would probably make it like a second home.

Glancing down for a moment to check the time on his truck's clock, Danny realized it was probably time to give Sam a call so she could prepare for his interview. While The Void was just in town, he wanted to run some errands first, like grabbing a coffee to calm his nerves. He waited until he pulled out to the traffic light, which thankfully had just turned red, and reached into his pocket for his cell and began to call the amethyst-eyed girl.

 _Thank God I was smart enough to actually save her number on my contacts._

One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings… Fiv—

"Hello?" A groggy voice answered the phone, followed by a short yawn. If Danny didn't know any better, he'd think he had just woken his potential employer up. _Oh shit._ He totally just woke Sam up! That definitely wasn't a good start.

"Hello? Are you there?"

This time, she sounded either grumpy from being woken up or irritated by his lack of response.

 _C'mon Fenton! Do something! Anything! Say something!_

"Hel—"

Panicking like a child that just got caught disobeying their teacher, Danny hurriedly hung up his phone.

"Jeez, Fenton!" He nearly yelled while putting his foot on the gas pedal just as the light finally turned green. "Not even started and you already screwed up your chances for this job! Ugh! Can this get any wor—"

This time it was he who was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing and briefly looked down to see who it could be, much to his horror. "Oh God! She's calling me back?! I'm so screwed!"

Danny was now at war with himself during this small crisis. He wasn't sure if he should just face the music and answer the phone, or just ignore her call and just call her back later. That'd be fine, right? Unless she remembered his number. _Man, this is why caller ID was such a bad upgrade._

"Hey," he answered lamely.

"Um, hi. I just got a call from this number and wasn't sure if the call had dropped or if it was just a wrong number."

"Oh, uh, it's me." He swallowed hard before continuing, "Danny, from last night. Remember?"

"I'm guessing you lost that tact you had mustered yesterday, considering you were calling me at 8 in the morning. Eager, aren't we?"

As embarrassed as he felt, Danny could not help but feel the least bit amused at her tone. He could almost see the playful smirk on her face. "I guess you could say that," he replied while pulling into the parking lot of the coffee shop. "I really didn't mean to wake you. I kind of panicked and hung up once I realized what I did. If you want, I can call back la—"

"And make this loss of sleep go in vain? What kind of monster are you?"

"The dumb kind, apparently," he chuckled dryly. "Look, I'm really sorry about waking you up. I just figured I'd get a head start on my day. I guess I probably should have waited a little while to call."

"You think?" she snorted while stifling another yawn, which suddenly filled Danny with even more guilt. "I guess I needed to get up anyways. Just next time maybe try _not_ to hang up on the person you wake up. I was worried sick thinking that it was my parents calling to inform me of an impromptu visit."

"So… Does the relief of knowing that it was just a clumsy, tactless guy hoping to get a job at your bar get me off the hook?"

"Oh no, I think I'll hire you just to make your life a living hell. I'll become one of those cold, harsh bosses who gives expired coupons as bonuses and leaves old coffee in the pot."

"You fiend!" Danny joked, finally starting to calm down. "Speaking of coffee, this little shop I'm at looks like it's hiring."

"Aw, that would be a great idea!" Sam's sarcasm unmistakable, "Too bad I already have a job."

"You sure you don't want to live out your dream as a barista?"

"I'm positive, but I bet you'd pull off the hairnet and apron style just fine."

"Now why would I do that when I could get some nice expired coupons?"

"Whatever," Danny could swear he could feel Sam rolling her eyes. "I'm guessing you want to come in for that interview right now?"

"Uh, well, maybe not right now. I'm grabbing some coffee and muffins, so I figured I'd call to see what time would work for you?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Sam snorted. "Just give me an hour to wake up and get ready, okay?"

"Yeah, of course," the halfa agreed immediately before a thought came to mind. "Hey, I know this doesn't really make up for waking you up so early, but would you like me to grab you something? I'm at the place on 2nd street."

"Sorry Danny, but it's going to take more than a coffee to bribe me with this interview."

Grinning, Danny moved the phone to his other hand as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned off the truck. "Actually, it would be an apology coffee. I plan to get by the interview with my dashing good looks and witty charm."

"… You're going to need more coffee."

An hour later found Danny standing right outside The Void, coffee carrier and a bag of muffins in hand. While his talk with Sam helped, he was still pretty nervous about the interview. What if he made a fool of himself? What if she wanted someone with more experience; or, at least, some sort of experience with alcohol? What if she was just doing the interview to make him feel better about his shitty situation and had no genuine interest in hiring him?

But if she really had no interest in hiring him, why would she have even mentioned the position at all? He might not know the bar owner good enough, but something told the blue-eyed male that she was being sincere, in her own sarcastic way. This thought relaxed Danny as he shuffled nervously from foot to foot and pressed the button next to the door. It was barely a moment later when Sam arrived and greeted him.

"Hey Danny, right on time. Come in."

It was weird, he noticed, walking into The Void with the lights on and no music playing. The atmosphere was still calm, but in a different way than the night prior. The place wasn't crowded and there weren't any clinking or drunken patrons wandering around. The chairs were placed carefully atop the table and the glasses were neatly moved behind the bar. Danny couldn't help but wonder if Sam had been the one to do all of this without help. He hadn't seen any other employees last night, so maybe she really was short staffed. A pang of guilt built in his body as he wondered if he should have stayed and helped her out a little last night.

 _Oh well, at least I can make it up if she hires me._

"Here, I got you a coffee. Something told me you'd want it black, no cream. But just in case, I did bring some sweetener. And some blueberry muffins, if that's okay."

"Thanks, Danny, but you didn't have to do that. I was just kidding about the coffee thing." He handed her the carrier and followed the slightly shorter girl to the bar's counter. Coincidentally, it was the same spot they had been yesterday. "You were right, by the way. I prefer my coffee black, but sometimes I like to add some sweetener. But, um, I probably will just let you keep the muffins. Not to sound ungrateful or anything, because I totally am, but I don't eat anything with animal by-products."

 _Great, even when I do something smart I still fail hard._

"So," Danny shook his negative thoughts away and sat across from Sam, "that means you're vegan, right?"

"Not exactly. I mean, it's practically the same thing; I don't eat anything that was made using animal meat nor their by-products. No milk, eggs, or anything like that. But I also am really strict with myself regarding waste. I don't get bags at grocery stores and prefer products that aren't packaged. If they are, I either find another use for them or put them in my recycling bins. I even use shampoo and conditioner bars… They're like soap bars, but for the hair."

"That's actually kind of cool. So what made you want to be an, um?"

"An Ultra-Recyclo-Vegetarian," she supplied after taking a sip of her coffee and giving off a bemused look. "Shouldn't I be the one interviewing you?"

Danny grinned back at the goth and puffed his chest out.

"By hiring me, you'll quickly learn that I tend to take charge, like a natural-born leader."

"A leader who just so happens to throw a tantrum whenever he hears bad news?" She jabbed him lightly on the chest, causing it to deflate and Danny's face to heat up from embarrassment as he remembered the way he acted last night.

"Yeah, sorry about that… It's been a crazy week and—"

"You really don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand. Anyways, let's get this show on the road."

Danny was grateful for her interruption and gladly stood up to follow the goth towards the office. Somehow, he had a feeling that the interview would go just fine.


End file.
